Lighting fixture



7 Dec. 31, 1929. N. L. URELES 1,741,171

I LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed March 22, 1927 IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Dec. 31, 19 29 NATHAN L. URELES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIGHTING FIXTURE Application filed March 22, 1927. Serial N0.'177,26 6.

The present invention, while capable of a relatively wide range of utility in the/electricallixture art, finds its preferred embodiment in a wall lighting fixture of the class in which a control switch is associated with an outlet covering panel. if

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fixture which eliminates the use of separate panel sockets for candle wall brackets, and the expense incidental to their use, and at the same time retains not only the symmetry but also the conventional appearance of the panel in that no openings are formed in the panel other than the usual central one for the panel mounting button. At the same time the switch operating handle is readily accessible, preferably occupying the position of the panel supporting knob, and

being intimately associated with the shell retaming means which replace the knob.

Preferably the switch is adj ustably mounted on or embodied in an adjustable frame member anchored to the outlet box, the switch casin g carrying the usual hollow shank; which passes through the central opening 1n the panel and receives a panel securing nut or the like. The switch spindle passing through the shank carries exteriorly thereof a button, link, or other switch operating member.

The present application is a continuation in part of my copending applications, SerlalNo. 84,543 filed June 8, 1925 and Serial No. 97,822 filed March 25, 1926, and represents an advance in several respects over the construction shown in said applications.

One improvement-is the provision of means which renders it possible to use the device of the present invention or the devices disclosed in said copen'ding applications with an unstudded type of conventional outlet box. Said means is preferably an adapter that may be anchored to the lugs of an unstudded box and that may be removed or discarded, the frame member having socket that may be screwed as in the copending application upon an outlet box of the type that has a stud.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of an improved type of adjustable switch carrying frame unit by virtue of which more rapid and secure adjustments may be made to accommodate the device to various types of panels. This frame unit tends to simplification of construction, economy of manufacture, ease of installation, and the promotion of a wider range of adjustment. The switch carrying frame unit and the adapter are suitable for use as standard parts to operatively associate any ordinary outlet box with any common type of panel. Itis to be understood that entirely aside from any panel supporting function, the switch carrying frame unit and adapter are useful articles of manufacture, standardized to fit many well known types of fixtures even though the panels of said fixtures be attached toa wall, ceiling, or floor by means entirely independent of those herein illustrated.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein v Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the fixture with the contour of the panel shown in dotted lines, i p

Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, i

Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentar View but showing the device used in a stu ded outlet box and with the adapter omitted.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the adjustable switoh carrying frame unit, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe adapter, In the drawings the reference character 10 designates a wall or ceiling, embedded in which is an unstudded outlet box 11 of conventional construction, the box being concealed by a shell like panel 12 of any convenient or standard type, including ,a rim 12" engaging the wall. This panel carries the usual lamp supporting bracket arms or equivalentinstrumentalities (not shown).

The application of my invention to the unstudded box of Fig. 2 is effected by "means of a cross-bar embodied as an adapter such as that shown in Fig. 5. The adapter preferably is formed from a single piece of drawn metal, of disk-like formation at its intermediate portion as indicated at 13, there be ing a nipple 14 punched from the center of the disk and threaded to serve as an anchorage for the switch frame. Arms incline outwardly from opposite sides of the disk 13, these arms being ridged or longitudinally corrugated for strengthening purposes and terminating in oppositely extending ears 16 slotted at 16 and adapted to overlie the usual apertured lugs 17 projecting inwardly from the rim of the outlet box, and to be removably secured to the lugs by screws or equivalent securing devices 18.

The adjustable frame unit is shown in Fig. 5 and may be attached either to the adapter nipple 14 or to the stud 11 of a studded outlet box such as that shown at 11 in Fig. 3.

The frame unit includes a pair of adjustably interfitting yoke elements 19 and 20. Yoke 19 includes a central disk portion 21 formed with a central threaded sleeve 22 to be screwed onto the adapter nipple or outlet box stud, and includes also a pair of spaced parallel arms 23 each deeply bifurcated as at 24 to define a pair of relatively long bendable fingers 25.

The other yoke member 19 is formed with a central disk or plate portion 26 and with spaced parallel arms 27 lying between, straddled by and adjustably secured to the arms 23. One convenient adjustable securing means has been shown, this means including flat locking bars 28 overlying the outer faces of arms 23 and formed with terminal flanges 29 embracing fingers to prevent relative separation of the latter or turning of the bars over the outer faces of the fingers. Screws 30 carried by bars 28 pass between the fingers 25 and are threaded into corresponding holes in the arms 27.

By loosening the screws 30, the yoke member 20 and bars 28 may be slidably adjusted as a unit along arms 23 and by tightening the screws, locked in any desired position in accordance with the shape or depth of theparticular panel shell 12 with which the frame unit is to be associated. The ends of fingers 25 projecting beyond disk 26 are then bent outwardly as shown, preferably lying approximately in the plane of disk 26. The long fingers 25 permit a wide range of adjustment of the telescoping yokes and the bent ends of the fingers may either be cut oil, or bent outward as shown in Fig. 3, if desired, or curved outward to exert outward or sustaining pressure against the inner face of the panel as shown in Fig. 2.

A switch may be incorporated as a part of the adjustable frame structure just described, but I prefer to use a standard canopy switch such as the snap switch shown. The switch casing 35 carries the usual externally threaded hollow shank 36 inserted through a central opening 37 in disk 26 and protruding through the usual center opening 38 in panel 12.

A binding nut 39 on the shank 36 bears against the outer face of the disk 26 and holds the switch casing 35 clamped against the inner face of the disk. The panel shell 12 is clamped in position against the wall by a nut 40 threaded over the outer end of shank 36 and binding on the panel. Concentric with this nut at the outer end of the stud is the usual switch button 11 screwed onto the projecting threaded end of the switch spindle 12 which rotates within the hollow stud.

For use with an unstudded outlet box, the switch frame socket 22 is screwed upon the nipple 14 of the adapter and the latter is attached by screws 18 to the lug 17 of the outlet box, the switch frame having been adjusted for adaptation to the particular conformation of panel 12, and screw 39 fastened thereupon. The assembly is completed by tightening the nut i0 upon the shank 36 and applying the switch knob 41.

For application of the device to a studded outlet box as in Fig. 3, the adapter of Fig. 5 is simply discarded and the socket 22 is threaded directly upon the stud 11 whereupon the assembly is completed in the manner previously described.

I have thus, in a throughly practical manner, utilized inexpensive canopy switches of any of various types: that are well known, for

the symmetrical uninterrupted wall bracket v constructions generally associated with the relatively costly electrical pull candle wall brackets.

The invention while preferably applied to wall brackets is not limited to such use, but certain of the broader features thereof are applicable to fixtures of other type, for instance, to ceiling fixtures where, in lieu of wall panels, ceiling canopies or shells would be used. The broader claims are, according 1y, not to be limited to fixtures for a vertical wall but are generic likewise to ceiling or floor fixtures.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the aoove construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, itis intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent of the United States is:

1. In a wall bracket, the combination of an outlet box and an apertured panel covering the same, an adjustable switch-carrying frame unit adapted to be anchored to the outlet box, and a switch carried by said unit including operating means protruding through said aperture, the frame unit including a pair of interfitting yoke members, the arms of which straddle and are adjustably locked to each other, means carried by one of the yoke members for attachment to an outlet box stud and means mounting the switch for carrying by the intermediate portion of the other yoke member.

2. In a wall bracket, the combination of an outlet box and an apertured panel covering the same, an adjustable switch-carrying frame unit adapted to be anchored to the outlet box, and a switch carried by said unit including operating means protruding through said aperture, the frame unit including a pair of interfitting yoke members, the arms of which straddle and are adjustably locked to each other, means carried by one of the yoke members for attachment to an outlet box stud and means clamping the switch to the intermediate portion of the other yoke member, one pair of yoke arms being deeply bifurcated to provide pairs of elongated spaced bendable fingers, the means for adjustably locking the yoke arms including members slidable along the bifurcated arms and screws carried by said means engaging the arms of the other yoke member.

3. In a wall bracket, the combination of an outlet box and an apertured panel covering the same, an adjustable switch-carrying frame unit adapted to be anchored to the out let box, and a switch carried by said unit including operating means protruding through said aperture, the frame unit includin a pair of interfitting yoke members, the arms of which straddle and are adjustably locked to each other, means carried by one of the yoke members for attachment to an outlet box stud and means clamping the switch to the intermediate portion of the other yoke member, one pair of yoke arms being deeply bifurcated to provide pairs of elongated spaced bendable fingers, the means for adjustably locking the yoke arms including members slidable along the bifurcated arms and screws carried by said means engaging the arms of the other yoke member, said sliding members including bar portions formed with terminal flanges embracing the fingers to prevent spreading of the fingers or turning of the bars.

4:. In a wall bracket, the combination of an outlet box and an apertured panel covering the same, an adjustable switch-carrying frame unit adapted to be anchored to the out let box, and a switch carried by said unit including operating means protruding through said aperture, the frame unit in cluding a pair of inter-fitting yoke members, the arms of which straddle and are adjustably locked to each other, means carried by one of the yoke members for attachment to an outlet box stud and means clamping the switch to the intermediate portion of the other yoke'member, one pair of yoke arms being deeply bifurcated to provlde pairs of elongated spaced bendable fingers, the means fingers being bent outwardly to lie substantiallylin the plane of the intermediate portion of the opposite yoke member.

5. An adjustable switch carrying frame unit for attaching canopy switches to outlet boxes including a' pair of yoke members formed with interfitting arms, one pair of arms straddling the other, the outer pair of arms being deeply bifurcated to provide pairs of spaced parallel fingers, and sliding members on the outer faces of said bifurcated arms rigidly and adjustably connected to the inner arms through the spaces between the fingers.

6. An adjustable switchcarrying frame unit for attaching canopy switches to outlet boxes including a pair of yoke members formed with interfitting arms, one pair of arms straddling the other, the outer pair of arms being deeply bifurcated to provide pairs of spaced parallel fingers, sliding members on the outer faces of said bifurcated arms rigidly and adjustably connected tothe inner arms through thespaces between the fingers by a screw adapted when tightened to clamp the fingers between the inner arms and the sliding members.

7. An adjustable switch carrying frame unit for attaching canopy switches to outlet boxes including a pair of yoke members formed with interfitting arms, one pair of arms straddling the other, the outer pair of arms being deeply bifurcated to provide pairs of spaced parallel fingers, sliding mem bers on the outer faces of said bifurcated arms rigidly and adjustably connected to the inner arms through the spaces between the fingers by a screw'adapted when tightened to clamp the fingers between the inner arms and the sliding members, the slide members comprising bars, the ends of which are flanged to embrace the fingers, preventing separation of the latter and rotational movement of the slides about the screws.

8. As a new article of manufacture, an adapter for converting an unstudded outlet box into a studded one including a central nipple carrying portion adapted to lie within the box and to dispose the nipple in the location ordinarily occupied by a box nipple and a pair of outwardly extending laterally i11- clined arm portions connected to the nipple carrying portion, the extremities of said arms being angularly offset and slotted for at tachment to lugs at the mouth of the box.

9. An adjustable switch carrying frame unit for attaching canopy switches to outlet boxes including a pair of yok members formed with interfitting arms, one pair of arms straddling the other, the outer pair of arms being deeply bifurcated to provide pairs of spaced parallel fingers, sliding mem bers on the outer faces of said bifurcated arms rigidly and adjustably connected to the inner arms through the spaces between the fingers by a screw adapted when tightened to clamp the fingers between the inner arms and the sliding members, said extremities being angularly offset relatively to the arms and having slots therein for the reception of securing devices.

10. A switch holder for a lighting fixture including a pair of yokes adjustable with respect to each other, one of said yokes having a threaded mounting nipple adapted to be mounted upon the stud of an outlet box, means for rigidly connecting said yokes in pro-adjusted position, a canopy switch having a threaded shank to project through an aperture in the outer yoke, means securing said shank with respect to said yoke, and an adapter comprising a metal bar having a threaded stud upon which said threaded nipple may be secured, said bar having ends adapted to be attached to the rim of an outlet box.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 21st day of March, A. D. 1927.

NATHAN L. URELES. 

